That’s a little disappointing, but I think my biggest concern is that Lopez be ready and healthy for the 2010-11 regular season. When it was announced that he had mono earlier this summer, I was kinda shocked how nonchalant the organization was about it, especially since Lopez lost so much weight. Just keeping my fingers crossed.

If Brook Lopez again performs well during camp, he should earn a spot among the group reassembling in New York City for the first-ever World Basketball Festival, which tips off August 12 with a special showcase in Times Square before moving uptown to Harlem’s legendary Rucker Park basketball courts on Aug. 13 and 14. A glance at the 2008 Olympic roster shows that USA Basketball carried only a single center, two-time Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard, and two power forwards: Chris Bosh and Carlos Boozer. While Lee and Stoudemire can each play the 5, Lopez is the best of the true centers, and will likely beat out Chandler and brother Robin.

He’s looking at you, Rod. Right at you.

News broke today that the Sacramento Kings and the Philadelphia 76ers have agreed to a trade, with Samuel Dalembert heading to the West Coast for Spencer Hawes and Andres Nocioni. Now, normally this would be irrelevant to the Nets & their fan base, but since the draft is now under a week away, and the Nets pick one spot below the Sixers, this could potentially have mass implications:

The Sixers have been deciding whether to select Evan Turner or Derrick Favors with the No. 2 pick. Although Sixers general manager Ed Stefanski is a Turner fan, new coach Doug Collins is high on Favors. With Dalembert gone and Nocioni in, it could push them in the direction of Favors.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5297829

There’s still a good chance that the Sixers will end up taking Turner on draft night, but trading your center – a renowned defensive monster and rebounder extraordinaire – for a decent small forward and a 7-footer who averaged six rebounds per game with little defensive reputation is not a sign that you’re interested in a swingman who replicates the skillset of your best player. You have to think that they’re looking at Favors very closely; the Sixers can’t possibly believe that Elton Brand and Spencer Hawes can handle the frontcourt every night. They’ll get abused on the defensive side of the floor and be one of the worst rebounding tandems in the league. Derrick Favors fits what they need more, and if Doug Collins has any say, he’ll be a 76er. I can even see Favors donning a Sixers cap now & Turner competing with Brook Lopez in the “who has the most ridiculous voice in New Jersey” contest.  (Don’t sleep on this. It’s basically Goofy Andre the Giant vs. Kermit the Frog. I would love to see these guys in a tandem interview.)

Crazy sounds aside, two more wild cards in this:

1) How they view DeMarcus Cousins. They just traded away their center, Cousins could fill that role instantly. If they’re truly enamored with his talent they might also consider him at the #2 spot as well considering his size and skill at rebounding the ball.

2) How badly Minnesota wants to move up. There have been countless reports that Minnesota is trying to trade their #4 and #16 pick for the Sixers second choice, and after this deal it would be hard to pass that up. The Sixers would still get one of the major big talents in this draft (Cousins or Favors after Turner goes to the Timberwolves) plus a bonus pick. The only way that deal falls through is if either side tries to ask for too much, or if the Timberwolves are able to swing a better deal for Al Jefferson or Kevin Love to open up space in the frontcourt.

Basically, the Sixers have just blown the draft (after the Wizards pick) wide open. Anything is possible at this point. I know that I’ve made my opinion very clear that the no-doubt #1 prospect in this draft is John Wall. I also know that I’ve spent far more time than anyone should deconstructing the debate between DeMarcus Cousins and Derrick Favors. I also know that I haven’t talked much about Evan Turner (I left that to Dennis). Because of that, let me just go on the record now: if Evan Turner is available at #3, the Nets should take him immediately and start dancing in the war room. The Evan Turner hype has been low; he didn’t measure out as an unbelievable athlete and isn’t flashy or interesting. But let’s be entirely clear: if you had the first pick in an NCAA 5-on-5 game this year, and your life depended on your team winning, you’d take Evan Turner in a heartbeat with that first pick. No question. The guy is an absolute warrior. I have little doubt that barring injury he’ll be a great player for the next dozen years. I’d be ecstatic to see him at the Rock next year.

What I gather most from what I’ve read of New Jersey Nets owner, Mikhail Prokhorov, is he likes to take calculated and minimized risks in business. Sure, a certain amount of luck is needed to succeed, but for the most part, he seems like he makes moves with a purpose (his recent media circus around the tume of the NBA Draft Lottery and his ownership becoming official being an obvious example). So, just knowing that, I don’t think he would chance having a potential seemingly issue-laden player on his team, drafted third overall in Prokhorov’s first NBA Draft, despite this player’s talent. It’s a new beginning for the Nets and DeMarcus Cousins shouldn’t be a part of it.

Understandably, many people will disagree with this opinion, which is fine. Talent-wise, Cousins is right up there with any player in this draft. He has the ability to play very well in the post on both offense and defense, he wants the ball during crunch time, he can create his own shot, has a ridiculous 7′6″ wingspan, a big body ready to work on the block, and great hands. However, he also has a history of behavior that is conducive to sending up red flags should you be an NBA general manager.

The media hasn’t helped Cousins’ cause (sorry about that DMC), but mentioning flaws is part of the job. However, Cousins is the one to blame for his own scrutiny by the media. Even his own Kentucky Wildcats teammate, Daniel Orton, spoke about the potential bad behavior by Cousins. It should be noted that Orton did say that Cousins was a “loving spirit” before delving into how Cousins’ temper can get out of control.

That said, if you’ve ever played sports or any competitive endeavor, then you know how easy it is to slip into the intensity and emotion of the moment. It just seems that Cousins slips more than one would like when drafting high. And if you think a savvy NBA veteran wouldn’t know to push Cousins’ buttons, well, you just really aren’t paying enough attention.

Cousins has been a superstar wherever he’s played and he has the potential to be the same at the pro level. But the difference will be that no one will hold his hand or cover up his lapses in judgment, especially in the media capital of the world. He’ll be the latest millionaire in the big city, where the potential for sin is third to only Las Vegas and the Playboy Mansion.

Cousins is a 19-year-old man, an age when you  act stupid (I know I did) and don’t fully understand consequences.   However, as a professional, he’ll need to grow up quick.  Can he do it?  Considering Cousins’ track record, as an NBA GM, would you want to bet your job on it? Do you think an NBA coach, the usual fall guy when it comes to him versus the millionaire player with multiple years left on his contract, wants to coach that potential headache?  Coming back to Orton, he also described Cousins as a “big little kid” that has to be controlled before he “gets way out of hand.”  Hmm.

I know I haven’t spent much time about Cousins’ game, which is mostly because he can ball, but let’s consider a few things.  He only averaged 23.5 minutes per game in 38 games during his freshman year at Kentucky, albeit very productive minutes.  Cousins recorded a 16.3% body fat at the recent NBA Draft Combine.  He and his agent are selling his being on a seafood and salad diet.  All of these things has to have you wonder about Cousins’ conditioning.  Will he be able to handle the rigors of an 82-game season and be as effective in limited minutes?  Considering Cousins had to get into the ubiquitous  “best shape of his life” for the combine, but still ended up with one of the highest body fat compositions, what does that say?  And will he continue to eat seafood and salad once he gets his millions and able to afford filet mignon and fancy potatoes for every meal?  Cousins doesn’t exactly have the best track record of discipline and it’s hard when you have to basically grind on the road.

On the court, my main point of contention has to do with the potential chemistry issues with Brook Lopez.  Both are pretty good pick and roll guys and both like to work in the block.  Is there much room for both players to operate without running into each other’s space and/or clogging the lane for the Nets’ slashers?  Plus, I can see Cousins being a high demand guy, needing his touches and not looking to pass the ball back out.  Basically, I can see Cousins being a pre-Grizzlies Zach Randolph at best, able to get the stats, but how will he mesh with his teammates.  Add the fact that the Nets may still very well try to sign one of the free agent power forwards to slowly break in their rookie power forward, it could get ugly in the locker room.

Sometimes, you have to take risks in order to succeed, but with a new beginning and trying to appeal to not only the current fanbase, but future fans, the Nets can’t take a chance on the high risk/high reward/high bust potential of Cousins.  The volatility rate is too high and as a businessman, Prohorov shouldn’t let Rod Thorn go the Cousins route.

There is no questioning that John Wall is an excellent talent and NBA prospect.  Ask anyone that watches basketball and they will tell you in no uncertain terms that he’s phenomenal, an athletic freak, and quite the dancer.  My NAS colleague, Devin, praises Wall and makes excellent points about Wall’s game.  However, if I were the New Jersey Nets, I’d select Evan Turner if the Nets’ luck is as good as a picture of a bikini-clad Jessica Alba and the team wins next week’s NBA Draft Lottery.  Turner is as versatile as they come and many consider Wall and Turner, Pick 1A and 1B, but we’ll get down to Turner and his skill set a bit later.  First, let’s peep the point guard that most people think is no longer in the Nets’ plans and seemingly expendable.

Oh, and for the record, the Nets have a 25% chance of winning the NBA Draft Lottery and receiving the first overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft and I have a -25% chance of gaining any attention from the aforementioned Alba.  Snowball meet hell.

Considering that we aren’t John Cusack with the ability to enter someone’s mind, we don’t have any idea what new Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov or Rod Thorn are definitively thinking.  So, let’s take the approach of what we know.

The Nets have an All-Star caliber point guard that, granted, had a tough and injury-riddled 2009-10 season, but is still only 27-years-old.  So, please, allow me to re-introduce him – his name is Devin Harris. He is a proven 20-point scorer and did well post All-Star break last season, averaging 17.9 points, 6.9 assists, 1.3 treys, and 1.1 steals per game in 28 contests.  Even though he shot 40.3% from the field for the entire season, Harris improved his shot each month starting in the new year, ending up hitting a season-best 45.2% of his shots from the floor in April. While Harris didn’t meet the expectations that his outstanding 2008-09 season gave birth to, it’s undeniable that Harris is still plenty good.

So, what does this have to do with Evan Turner?  Nothing much other than the small detail that most have overlooked thanks to little pink and red hearts falling out of their eyes for John Wall – the Nets already have a very good point guard.

I repeat, the Nets already have a very good point guard.

Sure, it looks like Wall is a “can’t miss” type of player, but how many other “can’t miss” prospects has that been said about? Hello, Darius Miles, most hyped-up European prospects not named Dirk Nowitzki, and both sequels of The Matrix. Sorry, that “dance” sequence in Zion made no sense to me.  Plus it was a little uncomfortable watching Laurence Fishburne looking orgasmic.  In any case, can we say for sure that Wall will knock it out of the box when he gets up in the L? No, we can’t.  Of course, the same can be said of Turner.

But, here’s the difference.  Wall plays a position that ’s already filled by a player that on any given night, dare I say most nights,  can play like an All-Star.  I BELIEVE in Devin Harris! On the other hand, Turner can play either the shooting guard or small forward position, which are currently filled by Courtney Lee, Terrance Williams, and possibly Chris Douglas-Roberts, whom the Nets have a team option for the upcoming season.  Apologies to Lee and CDR, but I wouldn’t hesitate to put Turner in their place from Day One.  I think T-Will is bursting with potential and should get his well-deserved burn on the floor.  The amount of offense that would be generated from the 1 (Harris), 2 (Turner), and 3 (Williams) starting positions would be ridiculous as all three can handle the ball, drop dimes on the regular, and put the ball through the hoop.   Imagine having three players on the court at the same time that can facilitate the offense, with Harris and Turner able to also create their own shot, and Turner and Williams playing tight defense on the perimeter.

So, all things being equal, what do we know about Evan Turner?

Well, he collected seven of the ten college basketball player of the year awards, including the major ones (Naismith, Wooden, and AP).  Turner carried his Ohio State team all season, unlike Wall who also played with DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson, Daniel Orton, and Eric Bledsoe, all of whom are projected to go in the first round with Wall.  In fact, Cousins and Patterson should be lottery picks with the former being considered as the second or third overall pick in the draft.  By pointing this out, I hope to show that while Wall is an uncontested talent, he had a strong supporting cast in college while Turner was the main target of every opposing college team he played against and still thrived.

Weaknesses out of the way, Turner is not as athletic as Wall is.  No one in this draft is.  However, athleticism will only get you so far in the NBA (ask any number of athletic busts throughout the years, such as former slam dunk champion Gerald Green), so I don’t see it being a big weakness against Turner, especially when you consider Turner’s multi-dimensional strengths.  Turner is also suspect from beyond the arch, but that’s something that can be worked on (ask Channing Frye) and Turner is one of those guys that isn’t afraid to put the time in and improve himself, so expect it to happen.  Turner has a very high basketball IQ and should be a sponge learning the NBA game.

Unlike Cousins or Wall, Turner doesn’t carry any baggage and from all reports is a solid character guy, which should help him living in the the NY metro area where it will be easy to get into trouble.  He played three years of college basketball at a major university in a traditionally tough Big Ten conference and also played international basketball, getting it on on the Junior US World University team.  The experience and polish should help Turner adjust quicker to the NBA pace and lifestyle.

Turner is 6′7″ with a long wingspan that helps him disrupt passing lanes on defense and has excellent balance and size enabling him to defend positions one through three and depending on the frame of the four, Turner could possibly defend the power forward as well because of his upper body strength.  He’s also an excellent rebounder for a wing player because of his overall frame, long arms, and desire for the ball.  Turner can finish on the break, as well as at the rim, taking it to the rack, absorbing contact, and converting due to his deft body control.  His ability to attack the rim with success opens up his mid-range game, allowing him to basically stop and pop and rain jumpers all day.  If he ever does get a consistent money-ball shot to his vast arsenal of offense, Turner could basically be unstoppable.

However, Turner is also a very unselfish player that can create for his teammates.  Coming from the two or three position, particularly the latter, this is indeed somewhat of a rarity for a player.  He has excellent court vision and ball-handling ability and can change the speed of his dribble.  Turner is basically a triple-double threat waiting to happen, much like Terrance Williams, but even more so since Turner is able to do so many things in regards to scoring.  He’s been compared to Brandon Roy of the Portland Trail Blazers and I think that’s an astute comparison.

So, while Turner wouldn’t be the “sexy” pick for the Nets, it’s the one that makes the most sense.  The Nets would then be able to use part of the about $25 million they have under the cap on a power forward to team up with Brook Lopez down in the block.  Amar’e Stoudemire who has been rumored to be interested in the Nets in the past would be nice.  So would Chris Bosh and Carlos Boozer.   Maybe even David Lee.  But there are a multitude of scenarios that can play out and in the end, it’s all going to come down to what happens next Tuesday at the NBA Draft Lottery.

Perhaps the debate for who goes first to the Nets will be a moot point if they don’t win the lottery.  A nice way to end the debate and speculation would be the Nets receiving the second overall pick to use on Turner.  Besides, the Minnesota Timberwolves probably want to draft yet another unneeded point guard themselves.

“Relax,” he could have said at the pre-game ceremony. “I’m staying five more years.”

But James refuses to soothe fears that he still might leave the Cavaliers in free agency this summer. He prefers to keep playing his public poker game and let it veer into a frantic climax come July 1, when he finally can negotiate with the Knicks, Nets, Bulls, Heat and even the Clippers and Wizards if his masochistic side prefers. Maybe he’s remaining mum right now for a very good reason.

If the Cavs flop again in the playoffs, he might be looking for the nearest escape hatch out of town.

If you want my opinion, LeBron is staying, but for those holding out hope that LeBron will become a Net, the Cavs losing to the Celtics is probably the most likely way that it would happen.  What else could Cleveland do to put a winner on the court?  Not much.  If LeBron does leave, I still think the best landing spot for him is New Jersey…er…Brooklyn.

—

One of the reasons I think the Nets is the best landing spot for LeBron is Brook Lopez.  In just his second year, Brook Lopez is starting to make a claim that he might be the second best center in the east.  He has a solid back to the basket game, a nice shot, and he runs the floor very well.  Jordan Schultz from NBA Fanhouse tends to agree:

Perhaps the most well-rounded big man in this tier, Lopez is a true center in every sense of the word. Despite playing for the awful Nets, he was a bright spot in east New Jersey all season long, flourishing in his second professional season. Defensively, he’s a shutdown block artist (1.70 per game) who utilizes his tremendous length to clog driving lanes and force errant shot attempts.

He runs the floor well, either filling the lane on fast breaks or creating excellent low-post position. He has terrific hands, the type of huge oven mitts you want from a big guy. He can score from either block and has a surprisingly useful left hand for such a young player. Plus, he’s an 82 percent free-throw shooter, ensuring he’ll be on the floor late in games. Unlike many of his peers, Lopez’s game is predicated off of footwork and a diverse skill set. His combination of hooks, up-and-unders and overall cleverness around the basket make him the best young center in the game today not named Dwight Howard. If the Nets acquire a gifted passer like John Wall or Evan Turner in the draft, there’s no telling how good Lopez can be.

It makes me happy whenever Brook Lopez gets some love.  He made such a jump from his first year to his second year, but it doesn’t really get talked about much because he was playing for the worst team in the NBA last year.  On most nights Brook was the only one really doing work on the offensive end, and that’s even when he faces a barrage of double and triple teams.

The Positives

Transition Game

This is going to be a pretty lengthy list, but let’s start with something that doesn’t really get mentioned when you talk about Brook Lopez and his game.  His mobility.  Now Brook doesn’t have the lateral quickness of a Dwight Howard or a Andrew Bogut, but when it comes to running up and down the court, I’d take Brook out of any center in the league.  He is so good at just putting his head down, running to the paint, finding the ballhandler, and finishing:

Now, rewatch that again, and look for Spencer Hawes, the man responsible for covering Brook.  As Brook is busting it down the court, Hawes is one of the last men down.

Brook really runs with a purpose, and that purpose is to find the open spot.

Here, it looks like Brook is running to go post up, however, he sees a crease in the middle of the lane, finds it, and makes himself available for the pass.  It’s not just off of the ball either, Brook can get the rebound, find an outlet, and the bust it down the court:

In The Post

Brook Lopez’s game really took a leap in this, his second year.  I know he still looks raw at times, but he is looking more and more polished as the year went on.  Brook now has the ability to turn both in the middle and along the baseline to finish (he added a real nice baseline spin/hook).  However, his go to move is his turn to the middle, where he uses his height to his advantage:

As long as Brook is able to get himself into the paint, he is going to be able to shoot over people.  This is because on most nights, he is going to be the tallest player on the court.  Let’s take a look at one more:

If there was one good thing that came from this year and the lack of offense, it is that Brook Lopez saw a ridiculous number of double teams this year.  So Brook Lopez basically got a crash course in how to handle a double team.  In the video above, look at the subtle little backstep Brook took when the double came.  The swipe from the double missed because of this step back, and Brook is able to make his move.

Passing Ability

Now, this is where I was most impressed with Brook Lopez this year, and again it was because of the absurd number of double teams Brook got.

This bounce pass from Brook gets him in trouble from time to time, but Brook has been really good at it this year, and whenever Brook makes a catch he draws attention from defenders.  That leaves lanes open for cutters, and the Nets were pretty good at taking advantage.

Again, Brook is able to survey the scene, and as soon as the double comes, he makes a crisp pass out to Courtney Lee.

The Negatives

It wasn’t all good for Brook though, there were some negatives.

Brook’s Emotion

With a lot going wrong for the Nets this year, Brook had a hard time keeping his emotion in check.  He often showed his displeasure with the refs, with his teammates, and with himself in a pretty obvious way.  Brook often showed his disgust, and I think this really hurt him in terms of getting calls towards the end of the year.  Now, I am willing to give Brook a pass on this year.  Brook has never really showed this kind of poor body language in past years, so maybe it was just the burden of avoiding history that caused it.  This next year is going to be a pretty big test for him.  If he can keep his emotion in check, he is going to do wonders to prove that this past year was just a special situation.

Brook’s Positioning

Something Brook really struggled with (especially against bigger centers) was his positioning down low.  Now, when he gets the ball right on the block, he is really tough to stop.  However, there are times when he doesn’t get the ball, Brook just kind of gives up his position and he fades to the outside (right around the 20 foot area).  Now, when he makes this catch, one of two things happens.  He tries to make his post up move too far away from the basket (and this leads to a turnover/miss/offensive foul), or he settles for the jumper.  Brook is a pretty good outside shooter for a big man, but he took way too many of them this year.  Again, hopefully this is something that can be corrected when he has better teammates around him, and allowing for less attention to go Brook’s way.

This is going to be  a long, and hopefully eventful off-season for the Nets, so before NAS start getting into our analysis regarding the overall direction of this franchise in terms of coaches, draft picks and free agents, I thought we’d take a look back at the performance of our roster to dissect what went wrong (unfortunately a lot) and what went right (more than you might think in my opinion).

Let’s kick our off-season awards with what should be an easy and obvious choice. As the MVP of the 2009-10 New Jersey Nets, I’m going with Brook Lopez.

Expectations were fairly high for Brook Lopez headed into this season. As one of the Nets two “cornerstones” (the other being Devin Harris at PG), and with Vince Carter traded to Orlando, it was clear from the onset of the season that Lopez was going to have to evolve into a “go-to guy” for this team, which meant his game was going to have to evolve.  The fact that you can make a very good argument that Lopez exceeded those expectations with his performance, is a testament to how talented of a player Lopez is, and how his ceiling is much higher than many pundits (ahem John Hollinger) initially thought.

In terms of where he improved, let’s start with the advanced metric that measures it all, Player Efficiency Rating (PER). Lopez finished with a 20.11 PER this season, up from 17.94 in his rookie campaign, and higher than Hollinger’s projected PER of 18.82. This was good for 7^th best among NBA centers (6^th if you discount Greg Oden, who only played in 21 games). Only Dwight Howard, David Lee (who could be playing PF for the Nets next season), and Andrew Bogut ranked ahead of Lopez in the Eastern Conference, meaning he truly is evolving into one of the conference’s best centers not named Dwight Howard – as NAS, and others, predicted before the season started.

Yet, if you look at Lopez’s numbers across the board, his improvement is evident, albeit nuanced. His points per 40 minutes went up from 17.1 to 20.4, along with his free throw percentage and true shooting percentage. But his overall field goal percentage declines from 53 percent in his rookie year to 50 percent, and what’s somewhat alarming for a guy with his size, his rebound rate declined from a decent 15.8 to a less than stellar 13.5. The shooting issues could be explained by the kinds of shots Lopez was taking. He averaged 4.5 field goal attempts from beyond 10 feet this past season, compared with 2.5 last season. And as should be expected, his field goal percentage on these longer twos declined from 40 percent to 33 percent. What’s most unfortunate, is that many of these jumpers came in fits of frustration from Lopez, who was either getting double-teamed more often by opposing defenses in the post, or just not getting the ball from his trigger happy teammates, who despite being among the bottom in the league in field goal percentage, were 11^th in the NBA in long twos (16-23 feet) attempted.

But back to the positive. While Lopez might have been hurt by not getting the ball enough from teammates, he did evolve as a  better passer this season. His assist ration jumped from 7.3 to 10.7 this season, while his turnover ratio declined from 12.5 to 11.7. Ultimately, you’d like to see him turn the ball over even less, but that ratio was actually fairly decent (ranked 19^th at his position).

But what actually makes Lopez the MVP of this team was that he was the clear-cut best, and most consistent player on a very bad team, and the fact that he was able to rank among the elite at his position, just shows the potential here. He led the team in points, rebounds and blocks per game, and when players were dropping like flies around him in November and December, he soldiered on, staying healthy for all 82 games this season.  Get some playmakers around this guy, and watch what he becomes next season.

Rod Thorn expects to be aggressive this summer, even if there are delays with the ownership change: “It’s not a slam dunk. There are a lot of people out there that have money, so the competition will be greater than normal. But I feel confident we’re going to get it turned around. We’re going to be as aggressive as we can with the (budget) we have. And we know we’re going to get a real good player in the draft.

Was it unfair of the Nets to bench Bobby Simmons for the last few months of the season?

Al Iannazzone does his season review of the Nets. Staying? He thinks Brook Lopez, Terrence Williams and Courtney Lee are the only gimmees.

Meanwhile, Fred Kerber talks to the guys who’s future is a bit more uncertain with the organization.

Brook Lopez already has his summer plans: Watching his brother Robin in the playoffs.

Fred Kerber puts TWill’s season in perspective: There was a time this season — actually, several times — when the Nets thought about sending Terrence Williams to the D-League. There also was a time when folks thought the Earth was flat and those new fangled computer gizmos were a fad.

Kiki Vandeweghe still has Yi’s back, even if it looks like Kiki won’t be back after this season: “He’s still a young player,” Vandeweghe said of Yi. “What he doesn’t have is the background of the pickup games that all these other guys have. So he has to spend a lot of time working over the summer.”

Courtney Lee has the right attitude about his unknown role with the team next season: “To me it’s about winning more than anything. If we can get two stars in here to go along with Brook (Lopez) — or if Devin (Harris) is back to go along with the three of us — I’d be very happy with that. I’m on board with anything, as long as we win.”

Is it possible for a team to permanently play in New Jersey after the Nets leave for Brooklyn? Commish David Stern doesn’t heartily endorse it while talking to Dave D’Alessandro:  The Commish, as usual, saw that one was coming, and he didn’t skip a beat: “All I can say is, given the difficulties in TV arrangements, sponsorships, and the number of teams in the market, it’s something that has to be analyzed.”

Bleacher Report looks at “four cornerstone” the Nets can draft this summer.

10 things you need to know about Brook Lopez.